Speed up data entry and validation with AutoComplete for dropdown lists in Excel

(Originally posted September 26, 2023 By ~ Prash Shirolka)

We’ve heard from many of you who want the ability to autofill drop-down lists to make data entry and validation faster and easier across platforms, and we’re excited to announce it. This feature I like in Excel for Windows Now available for Excel on Android, iOS, and Mac!

Autocomplete for drop-down lists in Excel for Mac, iOS, and Android

Entering data in Excel can be a slow and time-consuming task. Drop-down lists are one way to speed up this process, but scrolling through long lists is no fun. By enabling AutoComplete for drop-down lists, Excel can automatically compare the text you enter in a cell to all the items in the list and only display the ones that match.

The algorithm for this feature can match text anywhere in the list item: at the beginning, middle, or end of the text string. This algorithm also automatically excludes empty items from the validation list.

AutoComplete lets you fill out forms and other types of content faster and more efficiently. You spend less time scrolling through lists, dealing with data validation errors, or writing complex code to do the work.

AutoComplete in a drop-down list in Excel (Photo courtesy of NASA)

How it works

Are you ready to try out autocomplete in your drop-down lists?

1. Open a worksheet in Excel and create a drop-down list.See instructions).
2. Enter text in a cell that matches one of the list items. As you type, watch the list update to show matching items.
3. Select or tap the desired item from the list. Enter Fill the cells.

effectiveness

The autocomplete feature in drop-down lists is rolling out to Microsoft 365 Insiders who run:

• android: Build 16.0.16816.10000 or later
• iPhone OS: Version 2.77 (Build 23090704) or later
• Scotsman: Version 16.77 (Build 23091003) or later

Features are released over time to ensure everything works smoothly. They are released slowly to a larger number of Insiders, highlighting features you may not have. Sometimes we remove elements based on your feedback to make them even better. This is rare, but we also have the option to completely remove a feature from the product, even if you, as an Insider, had the opportunity to try it out.

feedback

We hope you like this feature! Click to submit your feedback. help > feedback In Excel.

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